This cheat sheet covers common Spanish verbs and present-tense conjugation patterns that students use in everyday speaking and writing. It helps students choose the correct verb ending for each subject pronoun. It also highlights high-frequency irregular verbs that do not follow the regular patterns.
Students in grades 6-12 can use it as a quick reference for homework, class practice, and review.
Key Facts
- To conjugate a regular -ar verb in the present tense, remove -ar and add o, as, a, amos, áis, or an.
- To conjugate a regular -er verb in the present tense, remove -er and add o, es, e, emos, éis, or en.
- To conjugate a regular -ir verb in the present tense, remove -ir and add o, es, e, imos, ís, or en.
- The subject pronouns are yo, tú, él, ella, usted, nosotros, nosotras, vosotros, vosotras, ellos, ellas, and ustedes.
- Ser is used for identity, origin, time, characteristics, professions, and relationships, as in yo soy, tú eres, él es, nosotros somos, vosotros sois, ellos son.
- Estar is used for location, feelings, conditions, and temporary states, as in yo estoy, tú estás, él está, nosotros estamos, vosotros estáis, ellos están.
- Some common present-tense irregular yo forms are tener: tengo, hacer: hago, ir: voy, estar: estoy, and poner: pongo.
- Stem-changing verbs keep regular endings but change the stem in most forms, such as querer: quiero, quieres, quiere, queremos, queréis, quieren.
Vocabulary
- Infinitive
- The base form of a Spanish verb before it is conjugated, such as hablar, comer, or vivir.
- Conjugation
- The process of changing a verb form to match the subject, tense, and meaning of a sentence.
- Subject pronoun
- A word that names who is doing the action, such as yo, tú, nosotros, or ellos.
- Regular verb
- A verb that follows the normal ending pattern for its verb group, such as -ar, -er, or -ir.
- Irregular verb
- A verb that does not fully follow the normal conjugation pattern and must often be memorized.
- Stem-changing verb
- A verb that changes part of its stem in some forms while usually keeping the regular present-tense endings.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using the infinitive after a subject, such as yo hablar, is wrong because the verb must be conjugated to match the subject: yo hablo.
- Mixing -ar, -er, and -ir endings is wrong because each verb group has its own present-tense pattern, such as tú hablas but tú comes.
- Forgetting accent marks in forms like tú estás or vosotros coméis is wrong because accents can show correct pronunciation and distinguish meanings.
- Using ser and estar interchangeably is wrong because ser usually describes identity or lasting traits, while estar usually describes location or temporary states.
- Changing the stem in the nosotros or vosotros forms of many stem-changing verbs is wrong because verbs like querer use queremos and queréis, not quieremos or quieréis.
Practice Questions
- 1 Conjugate hablar in the present tense for yo, tú, ella, nosotros, and ellos.
- 2 Fill in the blanks with the correct form of tener: Yo ___ dos hermanos. Nosotros ___ mucha tarea. Ellas ___ una pregunta.
- 3 Choose ser or estar and conjugate it: Mi amiga ___ de México. Los libros ___ en la mesa. Yo ___ cansado hoy.
- 4 Explain why a speaker would use estar instead of ser in the sentence Estoy nervioso antes del examen.